This week languagecaster.com introduces the English for football phrase ‘top draw’. You can understand more about this phrase by reading the transcript below. You can also find many more examples of soccer vocabulary by going to our football cliches page here and our huge football glossary here. This post also features in our podcast show, along with a main report and our weekly predictions.

Top drawer

What do we mean by the phrase ‘top drawer‘ when we use it in a football match? First it’s useful to have a look at the two words used to make the phrase. Drawer is part of furniture for storing things. You usually keep clothes in a chest of drawers, or you may store important papers and documents in a desk drawer. Top refers to position – it is the opposite of bottom, but top also means the best. The top drawer in a cabinet or chest of drawers is traditionally where people keep their most valued items, such as jewelry, money or important documents, and the phrase has come to mean top quality, the best there is. How is it used in football? Well, in the recent transfer window clubs were looking for a top drawer player – a player of top quality. In a game, there may be a fantastic pass – “that pass was top drawer“; or a cracking shot, “That was right out the top drawer. Top drawer.

Check out more football phrases by visiting our huge glossary page, where you can find hundreds of words, phrases and cliches connected to the world of football. If there is a phrase you need explaining send us a comment or email and we will try to explain it for you.